Prodigy
by black laurel
Summary: What if Naruto hadn't defeated Neji in the third part of the Chuunin exam? Something about Neji has piqued Itachi's interest, and one can not be sure if that's a good thing. Mild ItaNeji. Oneshot


**Author's Notes:** ItaNeji is way too rare. That's what I think.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.

**Warnings****:** very mild yaoi, OOC-ness.

**Prodigy**

He was going so fast that the leaves painted by autumn around him should have blurred. They didn't.

He probably should have felt at the very least _something_ about the fact that he had just killed over thirty men. He didn't.

All of this could be explained very simply: he was a Hyuga. And not just any Hyuga either, he was a prodigy. A branch member Hyuga, that's what he was, yet he managed to become an ANBU at the age of seventeen.

He was a genius, yet his family did not praise him for it. There was disdain, because he was a branch member who dared to grow more powerful than those of the main branch. But what mattered far more than the disdain, was the fact that mixed to it, there was a hint of fear. The fear led to isolation.

Hyuga Neji was a caged bird, never meant to fly free. What would happen if he found a way to break out from his cage? The Hyuga family did not even dare to think of such a horrid event.

Neji, being the prodigy that he was, knew all of this very well. But even though he knew, he no longer cared. All he had these days was hatred. Hatred for the Hyuga, for fate, and even for his Father, who had died for the sake of the main family. The hatred was like a disease, spreading slowly but surely through him. It was gripping at his heart, blackening it.

But even though he was full of hatred and anger, he rarely acted on it. Even as he completed assassinations, he didn't pour even a smidgen of his hatred in them. And now that he was returning from one of his countless missions, all alone, the hatred could not be seen. It did not smoulder in the depths of his blank white eyes, and it did not make his stride even a bit more rigid. None of it could be seen, yet none of it could be denied.

Neji hadn't smiled after his father's death, not even once. There were hardly any reasons to do so. He had just completed his mission perfectly, yet there was no sense of satisfaction in him. As always, he had done everything almost mechanically. Find, kill, return and report. He was nearly back to Konoha now. After giving his report he would most likely go train somewhere. It was like this every single day.

But for some reason today refused to follow the usual pattern, and suddenly Neji was pinned against a tree. You may wonder how could anyone do such a thing to an ANBU, but the answer is fairly simple, you just have to be even more skilled than the ANBU in question. That being said, not many could have survived even the mere attempt of this act.

A small eternity went by as oddly curious blood-red eyes stared into blank white ones. Neji calmly studied the person before him. Painted nails, a black cloak with red clouds on it, and most importantly: the Sharingan eyes. There was no doubt about the identity of this person.

"Uchiha Itachi", Neji finally stated with a monotone voice. Itachi did not answer.

Another eternity later Itachi's lips opened slightly and he tilted his head just a tad to the right.

"You intrigue me, Hyuga Neji", he finally said, his voice also monotone. Itachi reached out with his left hand and took of Neji's bird mask. Neji's eyes flashed nearly unnoticeably.

"Why is that?" Neji asked, coolly studying the face of the one pinning him down. Itachi's expression betrayed nothing.

A third eternity made itself known.

"You remind me of myself", Itachi finally answered, and a ghost of a smile could be seen. Neji chose to stay silent.

"A genius from a family that you despise, held down by their foolish beliefs and fears, just like me. And despite their fears they expect everything from you and give nothing in return. Why have you not snapped yet?" Itachi was smiling widely by now, but it was a smile with far too many teeth. He leaned closer and whispered directly into Neji's ear: "Why haven't you _let_ yourself snap yet?"

Neji stood frozen as Itachi's breath tickled his ear. His heart wanted to pound just a bit louder, just a bit faster, and his breath wanted to come just a bit quicker, but he wouldn't let them. This was a matter of self-control, after all, and if Neji had something, control was it.

"Uchiha Itachi, missing-nin, why have you come here?" the Hyuga asked, trying to change the subject. He could not afford to let his control slip, not now, not ever.

Itachi chuckled so quietly that Neji wouldn't have noticed if not for the vibrations coming from the chest pressed against his. Itachi's smile became even wider – a thing that should have surely been impossible – as he murmured: "All that I came here for…is just…a kiss."

These words caused the impossible; Neji's eyes widened. It was just a light brush of lips, nothing more. Neji felt like gasping, but his self-control wasn't quite that far gone.

"I finally got a reaction out of you", Itachi smirked, his eyes roaming all over the Hyuga prodigy "You really are a fine specimen. Very near perfect." Itachi studied Neji's forehead. The seal stood out starkly from the pale skin.

"Such restrictions they've put on you…" Itachi breathed and Neji could have sworn he saw something flash through the blood-red Sharingan eyes.

"But in the end…You really are a prodigy just like me, are you not?" the Uchiha asked, but the question wasn't really a question.

It was then that Neji saw a completely new smile from Itachi, this one bordering tender.

"A prodigy just like me", Itachi whispered once more, and kissed Neji's forehead, right on the seal. Then he disappeared in a swirl of leaves, leaving behind a confused Neji who did not know how to deal with an emotion like this. It took a long while before Neji managed to return his report.

It was late when he started training. He was distracted, and it irked him. He had not mentioned seeing the elder Uchiha to the Hokage, something that was very unlike him. After a long time of unsuccessfully trying to concentrate he gave up and sat under a tree, closing his eyes. The ground was slightly damp and covered in decomposing leaves, but he did not care.

"Why would he say such a thing?" Neji wondered out loud. Suddenly his eyes opened, and they had a steely glint to them.

"Surely not?" he asked from the chilly air surrounding him. He felt like laughing, like smiling. But he did not.

That very night there were pearly white eyes everywhere, staring blankly at the ceiling of the Hyuga compound. Dead.

He really was a prodigy just like Uchiha Itachi, after all.

Neji smiled.

**The End**

**Author's Notes:** I had been meaning to write this for quite long… It turned out pretty much like I wanted it to.

So, what do you people think? I simply adore reviews, you know. Flames though, I do not appreciate. Constructive criticism is very welcome.


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